Computer aided engineering (CAE) has been used for supporting engineers in many tasks. For example, in a structure or product design procedure, CAE analysis, in particular finite element analysis (FEA) or finite element method (FEM), has often been employed to evaluate responses (e.g., stresses, displacements, etc.) under various loading conditions (e.g., static or dynamic).
FEA is a computerized method widely used in industry to simulate (i.e., model and solve) engineering problems relating to complex products or systems (e.g., cars, airplanes, etc.) such as three-dimensional non-linear structural design and analysis. FEA derives its name from the manner in which the geometry of the object under consideration is specified. The geometry is defined by elements and nodes referred to as FEM mesh. There are many types of elements, solid elements for volumes or continua, shell or plate elements for surfaces and beam or truss elements for one-dimensional structure objects.
To numerically simulate sheet metal forming or stamping process, a FEM mesh of shell elements is used for representing sheet metal (or blank) at the outset of a stamping operation. Blank is then formed or stamped into a part by hydraulically or mechanically pressing a punch through it into a die. After the part is formed including springback, certain areas of the part's surface may have imperfections (also referred to as surface low). A stoning operation is commonly performed to detect such imperfections. Manufacturers of the parts would like to eliminate such imperfections by altering the die. Physically adjusting or modifying a die is also expensive both in terms of time and money.
It would, therefore, be desirable to have method and system that can be used for predicting surface imperfections numerically such that expensive die modifications can be minimized.